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Hi-Res Image of Barack Obama's Wedding Ring

Contrary to what you may read on the Internet, President Obama's gold wedding ring does not feature the Muslim saying "No God but Allah" in Arabic script. It bears no visible inscription at all, only an abstract design.

So, the allegation is that Barack Obama's wedding ring, made in Indonesia, bears an inscription of the Shahada (Islamic declaration of faith) in Arabic. The Shahada is typically rendered in English as "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah." The idea, of course, is that this proves Obama is a Muslim, not the Christian he has professed to be his entire adult life.

As you can see in the viral illustration at right, someone has worked very diligently to make it appear as though certain Arabic characters match certain lines and shadows on the face of Obama's ring. But, as you can also see, the alleged correspondence isn't just forced, it's utterly reliant on the defects of the fuzzy, low-resolution images used.

Compare those to the high-res close-up at the top of this page, in which you'll see nothing remotely resembling Arabic calligraphy, just abstract shapes. Albeit worn and damaged, the serpentine pattern in the upper half of the design mirrors that in the lower half. (More close-up views of the ring, showing other parts of it as well as the area supposedly containing Arabic writing, are available here and here.)

If there's any inscription on the ring at all (although, mind you, there's no evidence to suggest there's one to be found), it would have to be on the inner surface where we can't see it.